Fawns and Lightning Bolts (by Ian Plant)

Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park (Virginia) is a great place to photograph wildlife, especially white-tailed deer. Fawns are born in early June, and the meadows become their playground for the summer. The deer, which are very approachable, are best photographed in the morning and late afternoon. Although I used a 500mm lens to capture most of these images, because the deer don’t seem all that bothered by people (indeed, they would often walk right by me while I was shooting), shorter focal lengths can be used. I typically use a flash when shooting wildlife, to fill in shadows or to create a catchlight in the subject’s eyes. 

Below are images of several of Big Meadow’s energetic and charismatic fawns (click on any image to view it at a larger size):

               

Of course, the fawns aren’t the only action at Big Meadows – their parents make decent subjects as well! As always, I look for interesting lighting and poses when making wildlife shots. When the sun is low in the sky – in the morning or the afternoon – I look for opportunities to use backlighting.

         

I’m always on the lookout for chances to create unique images. When a thunderstorm came through the Meadows at night, I sensed an opportunity. I searched by flashlight until I came upon two resting does (who were very accommodating, allowing me to approach within ten feet and to compose my image). I fired a flash to illuminate the does, and then left the shutter open until there was a bolt of lightning in the sky above me.

I’ll definately be heading back to Big Meadows next week!

Ian Plant (www.mountaintrailphoto.com)

~ by mountaintrailphoto on June 27, 2008.